New information prompts police to reopen cold case on 1989 murder

By Janene Pieters on September 12, 2018 - 13:10

Dutch police sign (Photo: M.Minderhoud/ Wikipedia). ()

The police received new, concrete information regarding a possible perpetrator behind the murder of 32-year-old Wilma Bres in Delft in 1989. This cold case has therefore been reopened, with a 10 thousand euro reward on offer for information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrator or perpetrators, the police said on Opsporing Verzocht on Tuesday evening.

Exactly what information was received, was not revealed.

Wilma Bres was found stabbed to death near her home on Muyskenlaan in Delft at around 3:00 a.m. on July 16th, 1989. Her bicycle was found nearby.

On the evening of July 15th she performed in a play 'Sondheim in the Park' with an amateur company in former theater De Tent on Agnetapark. Afterwards she had a few drinks with participants and guests in a bar in the theater bar. According to witnesses, the medical student left the bar at 2:00 a.m. to cycle home.

A number of suspects were arrested at the time, but so far no one has been convicted for Wilma's murder.

The police have no indications that Wilma had conflict with anyone in the period before her murder. Investigators therefore believe that Wilma did not know her murderer. The cold case team is taking into account that the perpetrator or perpetrators in this crime may have been underage at the time. In that case they can no longer be prosecuted, as the case is barred. If the perpetrator or perpetrators were over the age of 18 at the time, they can still be prosecuted for it.

The investigators call on anyone with information that may be helpful in this case to come forward. Going to the police after years of keeping silent is not punishable, the police point out.